


the seasons start and end with us

by impossibleaims



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Autumn, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian AU, No Angst, Spring, Summer, Winter, background crystal/gigi, crystal and gigi are only in the last chapter, just cute girlfriends, just pure fluff, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossibleaims/pseuds/impossibleaims
Summary: the longer jan and jackie are together, the more they begin to notice the smaller things in life - like the changing of the seasons and how much they love being around eachother.just pure fluff about how the two girls spend the seasons together :)
Relationships: Jackie Cox/Jan Sport, Jan Sport/Jackie Cox
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44





	1. float down like autumn leaves

**Author's Note:**

> after the absolute rollercoaster of emotions the last episode of drag race was, i just had to write some jan/jackie fluff. there will be absolutely no angst in this, and it will be split into four chapters. hope you all enjoy! <3

autumn was an enjoyable season for both jan and jackie. the leaves curl and crisp, all coloured with a different shade of orange and brown. the nights slowly got shorter and the weather cooled down, not hot enough for shorts but you could comfortably go out in just a jumper and still be warm. they could comfortably walk to work without being too cold, and coffee always seemed to taste nicer in the autumn months.

from the big window in their shared apartment the sun set earlier than usual and the two girls would spend their evenings basking in the golden glow that filled the room, eyes focused on the new york skyline that seemed a lot softer in the evening light. they sat in each others embrace, jan's head resting on jackie's chest, fingers brushing through blonde hair delicately, making sure to avoid any knots. the room was in a comfortable silence, apart from the occasional conversation between them. the repetitive motion of hands in hair almost sent jan to sleep, and it felt so good after a long day of sewing or dancing.

it was on evenings like this they would plan some autumnal activities to do on their days off. it came down to the usual: a walk in the local nature reserve when the days weren't overcast and gloomy, an afternoon in their local, cozy coffee shop, pumpkin picking when halloween was near or even just staying in for the night, with a movie and jackie's homemade hot chocolate.

they went on a long walk together one day, through the woods a few miles from their apartment. they would walk side by side, hand in hand and talk about their day. jackie would stroke jan's hand softly, whilst the smaller blonde kicked her way through fallen leaves, relishing in the satisfying crunch that never failed to put a smile on her face.

"jackie?"

"mmhmm?"

"i think we should get a puppy."

this made jackie sigh and squeeze jan's hand tighter, preparing to let her down gently like every time this question was asked.

"you know i would love one. but the landlord would go crazy with us, you know what he's like. did you see his face when we suggested a fish!"

jan smiled sadly, nodding and leaning her head against jackie's shoulder. "i know. it would have been nice." this lead to jackie promising that as soon as they got their own house, a puppy was the first thing on the list. jan's real smile returned to her face as they carried on their walk, laughing softly as she danced around the floating autumn leaves that fell down from the trees. jan would convince jackie to dance with her, spinning her round and round under the falling orange and yellow confetti. 

they would finish their dancing with jackie collapsing into jans arms, foreheads touching and giggling like teenagers in love, before eventually turning around when their feet began to ache and the cold evening chill began to run through their bones.

the next day they went to the coffee shop, jackies absolute favourite place to go. it smelled like coffee and pumpkins and cinnamon, and the look of content that washed across her face as she opened the door made jan's heart swell. the little shop was adorned with the comfiest sofas, ranging in shades from browns to yellows, and the quiet but peaceful atmosphere was one that couldn't be replicated anywhere else. it just screamed autumn to jackie, and over the past few years she had become a regular customer.

they ordered the usual, a piping hot black coffee for jackie and a hot chocolate for jan, who couldn't abide the taste of coffee. she always tried a small sip of jackie's cup, and every time she scrunched up her face in disgust, coughing at the bitterness that hit the back of her throat. this would make jackie laugh, and make a small comment about how she had "the taste buds of an eight year old."

grey skies rolled outside and rain begin to pelt down on the windows, making jan jump occasionally and shiver, shuffling closer to jackie. she snaked an arm around jackie's waist, who kissed her gently on the forehead in return as they watched the raindrops peacefully slide down the fogged-up glass. jackie seemed to radiate warmth and jan accepted that with open arms.

"this is nice," jan murmured, almost scared to raise her voice and interrupt the quiet room.

"agreed," they cuddled closer as they spoke, jan's eyes looked like they were about to close at any point. "although i'm dreading the walk to the car."

jan giggled softly at that, nuzzling closer and flinging a leg lazily over jackies. "we'll just have to run, wont we?"

"did you not bring an umbrella?"

she didn't answer that question, but a blush spread across her cheeks. jan had always been forgetful, and she mentally cursed herself for not remembering. her guilty eyes met jackies, but luckily she didn't seem to mind jan's forgetful nature.

"running it is then," jackie laughed, and it brought the smile back to jan's face.

they thanked the barista before walking over to the door and pausing awkwardly in front of the handle. jan could practically feel the cold air whipping through the keyhole and she clutched onto jackie's hand.

"ready to run?"

"ready as i'll ever be."

with gritted teeth and a tight grip on each other they ran to the door of their car, diving into the seats and laughing, despite the cold rain soaking through their clothes and dripping from their hair. the raindrops were even louder from the inside of the car, and jan seemed to flinch at every particularly loud droplet that plummeted onto the glass in front of them. they drove home with jackie's hand comfortably resting on jan's thigh, jackie complaining about how she would get a cold within the next few days. jan shut her up by placing a kiss on her lips, smiling when she saw jackie's cheeks redden.

around a week later halloween had finally arrived. there was an unspoken rule between the two of them, that halloween was never a scary thing. after aiden's horror movie party a few years ago, which left jan with nightmares and jackie feeling on edge every time she passed a mirror, jan refused to watch anything scary or participate in any haunted mazes. in fact, the only "scary" movies she accepted were beetlejuice, casper the friendly ghost and hocus pocus. they declined any halloween party or scary movie invites, preferring to stay cuddled up together, eating sweets and watching their own less scary movies.

however, it didn't mean the apartment wasn't decorated.

the two worked together to string up pumpkin lights and little paper ghosts with smiling faces. they changed the light bulb's to have an orange glow, lit pumpkin and apple scented candles in every room and stuck glow in the dark skeletons onto a few empty walls. the outside door leading to their apartment had fake spiderwebs hanging from the door handle, some glowing stickers placed orderly on the door frame, thanks to jackie's precision and eye for detail.

jan's favourite thing was pumpkin picking. they would go just as the sun was going down, a few days before halloween night, and pick up the biggest pumpkins they could find. they'd also get small pumpkins as decorations to put on random counter tops. she was an expert at picking the best ones and jackie just loved to watch the bright smile on jans face while she tried to carry more pumpkins than necessary, only to end up in a heap on the ground, a grin on her face and pumpkins surrounding her.

despite her expertise in pumpkin picking, carving them wasn't her strong suit. the apartments balcony would be littered with pumpkin seeds and knives that had bent half way through carving. jan's clumsiness meant that plasters had to be on site at all times, and most of the time pumpkin carving ended in jackie having to patch up jan's wounds. jackie was great at carving pumpkins, she was light handed and delicate, focusing on the finer details. jan's smiley faced ones would sit on their fake fireplace, leaving jackie's detailed ones on the doorstep. every year she tried to create one better than the last, loving the admiration she got from trick or treaters.

on halloween night, jackie loved to open the door to all the younger children in costumes, giving extra sweets to the polite ones and gushing at the babies carried in onesies. she had to push away the baby fever, insisting she was too young and trying to distract herself by focusing on some of the misbehaving, older kids that came to the door, trying to take more sweets than necessary.

"jackieeeeeeee," jan groaned from the sofa, pouting at her girlfriend in the kitchen. "that's the last of them, come here and cuddle with me! we can watch beetlejuice!"

jackie smiled and picked up jan, re-positioning the two of them so jan was comfortably settled in her arms.

"actually jan, this year i think we should watch insidious," jackie couldn't help but joke, until jan spun around to look at her with a stern stare, although her wide eyes looked more fearful than threatening. jackie placed a kiss to her cheek before saying "joking!" and leaving jan with an over-exaggerated scowl, which was soon replaced as she settled her face into jackie's jumper, inhaling the familiar scent of jasmine and sandalwood.

the opening title sequence of 'beetlejuice' played and as the film progressed jackie felt jan grow heavy as sleep washed over her, a look of complete relaxation on her face. it made jackie so happy to know how much her girlfriend trusted her. she looked around the apartment, enjoying the cozy vibes the lamps and fairy lights gave off, contentedly breathing in the air that smelled of pumpkins and apple crumble. soft snores filled the room and it put a smile straight on jackies face. as she finally began to finally relax knowing jan was fast asleep, she thought to herself, 

"maybe autumn is my new favourite season..."


	2. love grows colder in the winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> winter comes around faster than jackie hoped, but having jan at her side made it a little less unbearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! hope you all like this chapter, i love winter so i had a lot to write about. again, this chapter is just pure fluff <3
> 
> lowercase intended, enjoy!

jackie despised the winter months. she hated the bitter chill to the air, that froze your fingers and numbed your cheeks, leaving behind a stinging, tingling sensation. hated the icy patches that were invisible to the naked eye, leaving poor pedestrians falling flat on their face and wanting to melt with embarrassment. hated the way heavy snowfall disrupted the traffic and stopped her work. she was uncoordinated to say the least, so whenever she was invited to ice skate with her friends she turned down the opportunity as fast as she could. she was never bothered by new years eve, not being a heavy party animal.

there were a few saving graces that came with winter, the main one being jan.

jan loved cold weather. she loved the pretty snowflakes that settled on her windowsill, the cold temperatures that allowed you to go out wrapped up in multiple cozy layers. this also gave her an excuse to buy too many blankets for one small person, and to snuggle closer to jackie "for warmth." she adored ice skating, could probably quote every christmas film known to man and loved going all-out for the season of giving. the idea of a new year made her fill with glee, despite knowing that she would give up her new years resolutions 5 days in.

jan noticed jackie's mood changing as the weather got colder and colder. she was harder to wake up in the mornings, relied more on coffee to get her going and always seemed to complain about the weather. so jan just had to bring it up one morning, when jackie was snuggled up in a mountain of fuzzy blankets and pillows.

"jackie?"

"yes?"

"why do you have a personal vendetta against winter?"

the comment made jackie chuckle slightly, shuffling closer to jan who just stared at her with puzzled eyes. jan couldn't imagine why jackie hated winter so much, it was her personal favourite season.

"because its cold. and icy, and i always fall over, and i always seem to get ill..." she rambled on, making jan laugh occasionally at how dramatic jackie was. "and i'm usually alone for christmas."

this statement made jan frown, squeezing jackie tighter to her chest and kissing her gently on the forehead. "well i'm here now! and i'm gonna make you love winter, mark my words!"

and that's exactly what jan did. she pulled herself out of bed, laughing again at the sight of jackie wrapped in anything warm, resembling a very cold ET. she grabbed a pen and paper, bounding back to the bed and landing softly next to jackie. they decided on a few things to do, and since they had finished working it gave them more time for the winter activities scribbled down in front of them.

the first was decorating for christmas. jan made sure to ease jackie into the winter spirit, so doing something indoorsy seemed to be the safest option. both girls made their way up the ladder to their small attic, where jan's ridiculous amount of christmas decorations were hidden. jackie carried the big bags, full to the brim with santa hats and stickers. then she went to carry jan down, who refused to go down the ladder herself just in case she got stuck.

both girls got down to work, jan blasting classic christmas songs and serenading jackie while she tried to string up lights over the tv. jackie blushed at jan's cheesy singing, and her mood was instantly lifted.

soon the apartment was filled with the most amazing decorations: a huge tree in the corner that the two had put up together, little flashing white lights that hung from the ceiling of the room, reindeer's and snowmen figures that sung and danced when pressed, snowflake stickers on the windows overlooking the city and an assortment of christmassy candles that were placed on various tables.

the two had settled down for the night, a blanket draped over them lazily with the grinch playing in the background (jan was in complete shock when jackie told her she'd never watched it). it was quite late and jackie was completely content, until she realised that jan was still lying stiff in her arms.

"jackie that snowman's looking at me."

"uhh, and?"

"its giving me weird vibes!"

jackie was laughing loudly now, hugging her girlfriend close to her chest before settling her down and going over to the snowman figure in question, before turning it around and cuddling back up to jan.

"better now?"

"mhmm. thanks jackie,"

"no problem baby."

jackie fell asleep first, which was a surprise to jan. her soft snores filled the air, making the younger girl smile and turn around, reaching up to kiss her on the forehead. "i hope your excited for tomorrow, i am!" in a matter of minutes, both girls had fallen asleep in each others arms, illuminated by the soft glow of the fairy lights and the tv.

the next morning jan had somehow managed to climb out of the iron grip jackie had on her, getting up to make the two of them pancakes drizzled in maple syrup. the smell that wafted through the apartment made jackie rise from her sleep, padding into the kitchen with her blanket wrapped around her, embracing jan from behind. she jumped momentarily, almost dropping the pancake she was plating but spinning around nonetheless, hugging jackie close and murmuring into her ear, "ready for today?

jackie nodded against jan's messy bedhead, both walking back to the sofa with warm plates in hand.

"what are we actually doing today?" jackie's voice was laden with sleep and it made jan smile as she watched her try and stifle a yawn.

"were going christmas shopping! and all the lights will be up, and we can get a hot chocolate, well coffee for you, if that's okay..."

jackie realised just how serious jan was about making her love winter, and as she listened to her talk more and more about the cold weather she loved so dearly, it made her love for her grow. she silenced jan's rambling with a kiss, before confirming that a trip into the city sounded like a great idea. jan's face lit up at her approval, practically dragging her into their bedroom to get changed.

jackie was prepared for war, going out in the thickest pair of black jeans that she owned and a big coat. her brown hair falling past her shoulders in chocolate waves. she had decided against wearing gloves, jan's hands would do just perfectly as a replacement. jan had a large knitted sweater on, that was around two sizes too big for her and hung off of her body, however there was no denying she looked adorable in it. her hair was tied up neatly, and she took jackie's hand before leading them outside into the snow.

they spent the afternoon walking around the city centre, jan dragging jackie along like an over-excitable puppy. she stuck true to her word, buying jackie a black coffee and herself a chocolate drink, which made jackie wince at how much sugar was in it and how hyper it would make jan. not that she was complaining: jan was still as cute as ever even when she was bouncing off of the walls.

jackie never really noticed christmas lights until she saw jan absolutely marvel at the bright ones all hanging from lamposts. everywhere they went something seemed to sparkle, and it made jackie smile just watching her girlfriend looking awestruck at the neon stars hanging from the tops of the shopping centre roof. she heard a squeal from jan next to her, who was jumping around like a kid on christmas morning (literally).

"jackie please can we go ice skating? i haven't done it in ages and i so wanna do it! please?"

this made jackie sigh. she could never say no to jan, maybe it was the puppy dog eyes or the fact that jan was so excited over something so trivial.

or maybe it was just because she wanted to cling onto jan.

so they went ice skating (more appropriately titled jan drags jackie around an ice rink and jackie squeaks at the smallest change in pace because she's convinced she'll "fall over and break an ankle"). it wasn't as bad as jackie would have thought, especially with jan there holding her close. she was a lot better at ice skating than jackie was, but it made jackie put all her trust into her as she was gently lead around the rink.

despite having her eyes squeezed tightly shut for the most part, when she occasionally opened them she did notice jan's beaming face looking back at her, making sure she wasn't too uncomfortable on the ice.

once their half an hour slot was over, jan seemed even happier than before having let out some of her energy.

"did you like it?" jan looked up at jackie for approval, and it made her nod and smile down at her.

"it wasn't as bad as i thought. i was glad you were there though,"

the two of them had grown tired, and as they walked out of the building hand in hand and jan's arm snaked around jackie's waist so that she "didn't fall over", they decided to walk back to their car. the winter air hit jackie as soon as they stepped out of the building making her shiver slightly but jan was soon to the rescue, shuffling closer and filling the gap between them.

the drive back to their apartment consisted of only comfortable silence, jan practically falling asleep in her seat and jackie focusing on getting them home as quickly as possible. both were exhausted and cold, and this would usually bother jackie, however now she didn't seem to mind.

christmas came around sooner than expected. jackie was woken up by jan diving into the bed and shaking her, trying to whisper but it just came out as loud to poor jackie. she looked over at the clock to see it was only seven am, and if looks could kill jan would be dead on the floor.

they had spent the night before cuddled up watching christmas films, ranging from elf to love actually, both cradling warm hot chocolates and trying to get jan to fall asleep despite her excitement for the morning. what jackie didn't expect was for jan to wake her up at this ridiculous time. she noticed a coffee next to her on the bedside cabinet, steaming hot just how she liked it. she smiled, and after seeing all the effort jan had put in to make sure jackie woke up happy, it almost made up for her being awake at an ungodly hour.

"presents?" 

"okay, lets go open them."

they spent the rest of christmas morning opening the presents from various friends and relatives: a big picture frame with all their friends from crystal and gigi, some gift cards from brita, and lovely french decor from nicky, who knew that they had just moved into their apartment last summer. there was no present from jackie's parents, which was expected seeing as though they weren't really in contact, however it just meant that jan's parents went all out. they had given the two girls matching christmas jumpers, hand knitted and crafted with love and care, and just the fact that jans parents had thought of her made her heart swell.

jackie pushed jan to open the present she'd bought her, even though they had decided not to go all out on presents, jackie still felt like her perfect girlfriend needed a present. the box under the tree was small, wrapped in sparkly wrapping paper and a perfect bow on top. the look on jans face when she opened the box was amazing, and she ran over to jackie and tackled her in a hug.

"thank you, thank you, thank you! i love it, thank you so much!"

inside the box sat a delicate, silver charm bracelet, adorned with meaningful charms all related to the two of them. jackie shook her wrist, showing that she had her matching one on too.

the two spent the rest of the day eating christmas dinner (slightly burnt, courtesy of jan's very small attention span), laughing and joking, dancing to christmas music and ending the day like usual: sat on their comfy sofa, watching special christmas episodes of their favourite shows. it was safe to say that it was the best christmas jackie had ever experienced.

throughout the rest of the winter season, jan ensured jackie was the happiest that she could be in the cold weather. the two spent the cold days baking in their warm apartment, and on the bearable days they tried to go out as much as they could. when new years eve was round the corner, they chose to watch the fireworks from their largest window, kissing as the clocks struck midnight and promising they'd spend the new year together. jackie laughed when she saw jan's reaction to the fireworks: she loved the bright colours and patterns they made in the sky. the loud bangs? not so much. jackie hugged her closer every time she flinched, kissing her on the forehead in encouragement.

even though jackies hands were cold, her heart was warmed by her girlfriends little acts of kindness. she could confidently say that jan made winter much more bearable, and a small part of her was excited for next year.


	3. when the springtime comes, i’ll welcome it with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> spring has arrived, and the two girls enjoy the season of change, flowers and warmer weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys i’m back again! only one more chapter to go :( hope you enjoy this one <33
> 
> lowercase intended :)

the season of spring is very hit or miss for the two girls. it's nice to have a change of pace, temperatures began to rise and the mornings grew slightly lighter, flowers began to bloom and the feeling of change hung in the air. 

from outside their shared apartment, they could see the trees blossom with pink and white petals, coating the ground like a sprinkling of sugar. their balcony over-looked a park, and seeing the leaves slowly grow on the trees, sprouting with all the colours of spring gave the two immense satisfaction. some days were spent perched on their balcony, jackie hugging jan from behind and resting a head on her shoulder, watching the individual pastel pink petals float down to the ground below in a delicate manner. 

there wasn't much to do in spring, the new york weather was usually overcast and gloomy. april showers meant that most of their days were spent inside watching the raindrops race down their windows, a peaceful movie playing in the background whilst they idly sat around with their hands interlaced and soft smiles on their faces. 

jackies’ personal favourite thing about spring was spring cleaning (much to jan’s dismay). jackie was organised: everything in drawers and cupboards had a space, she couldn't abide the sight of dirty dishes or piles of laundry. even her makeup was lined up in an orderly fashion, whether it was colour or sized organised. 

jan wasn't one for organisation. she never made the bed, her drawers were anything but neat and she was frequently losing her belongings, whether it be clothes or makeup. she got attached to things that held memories, making more clutter around the house and if it wasn't for jackie’s love for jan, she would have gone crazy with the mess. 

so when the morning of the yearly spring clear out came around, jan was less than thrilled. both girls started in the bathroom, jackie trying to convince jan to let her organise her makeup.

"please? think about how nice and neat it would look next to my makeup!"

"yes but won't it just get messy again?"

"no because i'll keep up with it!"

jan couldn't help but smile at her girlfriends determination, and she finally gave in with a small nod. she watched as jackie gently began to place the smallest items at one side, tongue sticking out from concentration, and jan had to hold back a giggle at the cute sight of her girlfriend infront of her.

seeing as jackie was extremely occupied, she decided to sneak out of the small bathroom, bounding towards the velvet sofa and turning on the tv as quietly as she could. jackie was so distracted by cleaning that she didn't even notice the quiet, empty space beside her until she had completely finished organising jan's makeup. once she noticed the lack of noise next to her, she sneaked into the living room, hiding behind jan’s comfortable position infront of the tv. she snaked both her arms around jan, making her squeal with surprise and spin around to guiltily face jackie. 

"thanks so much for the help cleaning, you've done an amazing job!" jackie said sarcastically, and jan kissed her on the cheek to try and make up for her attention span (or lack of). 

"sorry. cleaning is just so boring jackie! and i just get in the way, i make more mess than i do clean!"

jackie couldn't help but laugh at that logic - jan left a trail of destruction wherever she went, whether she had knocked something off a table or left cookies crumbs all over the floor, jan always seemed to be making a mess. it was just in her blood! 

"i'll carry on cleaning, you carry on watching this. i'll be straight in when i've done, and we can relax for the rest of the afternoon. deal?"

jan was forever grateful for how loving and forgiving her girlfriend was, and she nodded happily, sealing the deal with a kiss. "deal"

after a couple more hours of jackie running around sweeping and dusting, like cinderella but more willing, jan had finally convinced her to come and sit down with her, insisting that they had done way too much cleaning for one day. the sun was going down, still too early for jackie’s liking but it was getting more bearable, and she pulled jan into her arms, the soft glow of the setting sun keeping them warm enough. jan was thankful that the big clean was over, however there was no doubt that she loved to watch jackie in her element. 

jan’s favourite part of spring was easter.

chocolate was up at the top of the list of jan’s favourite food. it didn't matter what type: white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate. if you left a bar out next to jan it would be gone in five minutes. 

jackie knew her love for the holiday, and although she wasn't a fan of how hyper she got after eating the assortment of treats, she always made sure it was special for jan. she'd struggle her way out of bed at the crack of dawn, hiding easter eggs around in vases, behind drawers and in every nook and cranny visible. she would wake jan up with homemade pancakes in bed before letting her loose to look for the small eggs in coloured wrappers. jan would tear the house apart, undoing all of jackies hard work but it was worth it to see the absolute look of glee every time jan found an egg.

by the end of the day, around 20 small eggs would be messily placed on the kitchen counter, the larger eggs that jackie bought sat on top of the tallest cupboard so the smaller girl couldn't reach. if jan ate all of them at once, and it wasn't out of her capabilities, then she'd be bouncing off of the walls of their apartment. to combat this, jackie let her eat a few a day, making sure to keep the others out of reach. 

it was entertaining to watch jan try and jump up to reach them, wobbling on her tiptoes and whining when she finally gave up, looking to jackie with puppy dog eyes and a pout. jackie had to fight her instincts to just give jan all the chocolate at once, to see her happy, smiling face. instead, jackie just kissed away her pout, leading her away from the kitchen in a feeble attempt at a distraction from the goods on the top shelf.

jan could confidently say easter was just as good as christmas, especially when she had such a thoughtful girlfriend like jackie. 

the only issue that the two had with spring was the weather. there would always be that one horrible week in april where thunderstorms would unexpectedly boom across new york city, leaving jan an anxious mess. 

"i'm telling you jackie, they're bad omens! bad stuff always happens after a thunderstorm. i don't know the science behind it but, without fail, something will happen!"

jackie had to try and ease jan’s overthinking mind, trying to convince her that there was no science behind bad luck, and that thunderstorms definitely didn't bring it, despite how scary they may seem. she would check the weather frequently, and if there were any warnings of oncoming storms, she would make sure to keep a close eye on jan. 

in some ways, jan really was like an overexcited puppy: she had an endless amount of energy, was very easily distracted, found excitement in the smallest of things, like when their local shop had her favourite ice creams in stock or whenever she heard abba on the radio, and she was easily spooked by loud noises even though she was loud herself. 

jan felt as though she could face anything with jackie at her side. they both managed to push each other out of their comfort zones, which ended well every time. rationally, jan knew that jackie wouldnt put jan in any danger, and if jackie wasnt scared then she had no reason to be, she knew that thunderstorms were just a natural part of nature. however, all rationality would be gone the second she heard a bang and ran straight for jackie, holding back tears and wanting to be held, to be protected by the loud noises outside which made it sound like all the buildings in new york were collapsing.

she found immense comfort snuggled up in jackie’s arms, the familiar texture of her jumper rubbing softly against her nose. she found out if she concentrated on jackies signature smell, the loud bangs outside turned into gentle thuds, but it didn't stop her from flinching and whimpering at every noise. jackie smelt like jasmine and sandalwood, occasionally jan got a whiff of honey from her shampoo. her body would relax as soon as she was pressed against jackie’s chest, whispers of comfort evened out her breathing and her trembling fingers ceased once they were slotted into the soft fabric hanging off of her girlfriend.

"ive got you, your safe with me, you always will be, no need to be afraid, i know it sounds scary, but its just a little bit of noise, nothing’s gonna hurt you while i’m around, promise,"

these murmured comforts made jan’s eyes slowly begin to close, the storm outside long forgotten as she grew heavy with sleep. it made her cling to jackie, leaning into her soft and gentle touches. the constant pattern of circular motions on her back and jackie’s mumbling lulled her into a state of exhaustion, but before she fell into a deep sleep she looked her in the eyes.

"thanks jackie, i love you,"

"i love you too sweetheart. you go to sleep now, ill still keep hold of you."

as she let sleep wash over her, she had one last comprehensible thought; even through the storms, spring was still enjoyable, especially with jackie close to her side.


	4. well, summer nights slipped us underneath her tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> spring ended just as fast as it started, leaving the girls to enjoy summer together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, last chapter! i’ve started writing another little series based off of mxmtoons new ep, so get excited! hope you all enjoy this final chapter and thank you for all the support <33
> 
> lowercase intended :)

spring lapsed away, being replaced with late nights and ridiculously hot weather. everyone in new york seemed to be sunbathing on balconies, the air filled with the smell of barbeques and burgers. jackie had an insane love for the summer season: it brought her tan back, she was never cold, she kept an unnecessary amount of ice creams in the freezer and her dark hair got lighter and lighter with every passing day. some years she would even get a few freckles across her cheeks, which suited her immensely. 

jan didn't share this love for the season. 

she was always too warm, hated the feeling of clothes stuck to her back and having to dab at her forehead with a towel every five seconds. she complained that ice creams gave her brain freeze and her very pale body didn't have the ability to tan - she was just left with horrible sunburn after only a few hours sat out in the sun. she stopped wearing makeup, and while it did wonders for her skin she felt bare without it. the only time she ever really experienced a love for summer was whenever jackie was around. 

they would always take little holidays to their friends, crystal and gigi's, house in missouri. the weather was much hotter than new york's, and the humid air with no breeze made jan irritable. the saving grace of the hot state was that crystal and gigi's house had a giant pool built into the ground in their back garden. jan would spend hours swimming laps of the pool, occasionally joined by crystal or gigi whilst jackie just watched from the side, claiming that she "wanted to focus on getting a tan."

jan knew that statement didn't make sense. you tanned easier in water, so by that logic jackie would be in the pool constantly? it was one morning when crystal and gigi had gone to buy barbecue supplies that jan finally questioned it. 

"jackieeeee, come get in the pool with me!" 

"can't hear you. too busy tanning."

jan sighed before taking matters into her own hands. she gently pushed herself out of the pool, tiptoeing over to where jackie lay, blocking the sun completely and emitting a frustrated groan from jackie. 

"i won't move till you tell me why you won't go in the pool with me." jan said with a pout, and jackie felt compelled to answer. 

"because," she paused, looking away from jan’s gaze, "i cant swim."

"seriously? jackie i'll teach you!"

jackie looked less than impressed, but she put on a brave face before following jan over to the pool. all she managed with dipping a toe in the water before running back to her safe spot on the sun lounger, claiming she was "a land animal" and wanted to stay that way. 

with a little bit more coaxing, jan had managed to get jackie’s legs dangling in the pool while she swam around underneath, splashing her and watching her flinch at the contact with the water. 

"you like baths." this statement made jackie break into loud laughter, shaking her head. jackie had been wary of deep water ever since she was younger and almost drowned with her family, but she knew she was safe here with jan. still, she couldn't get herself into the pool. 

"yes. your right, i like baths. because baths aren't deep, and your not likely to drown."

"i see what this is. you don't like deep water." a silence filled the air due to jackie not wanting to admit it, but jan grabbed onto her leg. "you trust me don't you?" 

jackie nodded and regretted it instantly. jan had managed to slowly ease her into the cold pool, jackie gripping onto her and squeezing her eyes shut. 

"jackie? i've got hold of you, relax."

the more time they spent in the pool together, jackie floating thanks to jan’s hold on her, the more she began to relax at the idea of being in water. jan realised there was no way that she would be able to teach her how to swim: jackie very much resembled an uncoordinated giraffe and jan didn't want to traumatise her anymore by accidentally letting her go under. so instead they compromised, jackie lying on jan’s back whilst she swam around, not only assisting jackie in getting a tan but also keeping jan company in the pool.

when crystal and gigi arrived with an assortment of barbecue food: burgers, garlic bread, ribs and sausages, they were shocked to see jackie in the pool but took advantage of it, joining the two girls. for the rest of the afternoon, jackie still clung to jan’s back but actually found herself enjoying the experience. 

when the sun started to settle, the girls (attempted) to start a barbecue. crystal must have burnt herself approximately 10 times in the space of the hour, whether it was through cooking or handling hot plates. jan and jackie tried to help, but the other two girls insisted that they were guests, and it was fine for them to sit down together and chill out. the air had cooled slightly, making it so jan could sit comfortably in jackie’s lap whilst they ate their slightly burnt burgers without complaints. 

the sky grew darker and crystal and gigi left the two to sit outside and toast marshmallows together, trying to be as quiet as possible but finding it ridiculously hard as they laughed at nothing. 

"do you think there are bears in missouri?" jan asked, a mouthful of marshmallow slurring her words. 

"yes, but i highly doubt they'd be sneaking into crystal’s garden."

this made jan laugh again, sending the two girls into fits of laughter over something that really wasn't as funny as they were reacting. jackie scooped jan up once they had finished their fire, bringing her back inside. jan kept complaining every time jackie touched her back, and when they assessed the situation it was clear jan was extremely sunburnt. 

"do you want me to rub some after sun on it? it'll help take off the burning?" 

"please." 

jackie lied jan flat on their bed in the spare bedroom, squeezing a generous amount onto jans back and watching her squirm from the cold. when jackie rubbed it in, she sighed contentedly, feeling soothed and leaning into the touch. when jackie brushed against jans side, she heard a giggle fall from her lips. curious, she ran her hand down her side again but with a little bit more pressure, watching jan squeak and try to move away. 

"jackie..." jan warned, but her pleas went upon deaf ears as jackie tickled her sides gently, listening to jan squealing and laughing underneath her. it was only when they heard banging on the walls from crystal that made jackie stop, leaving jan to collapse into jackie’s arms, a flustered mess. 

"you never told me you were ticklish?"

"never came up in conversation."

they lied together, legs entangled and jan’s head resting on jackie’s chest. no doubt they would get extra hot in the middle of the night and shuffle away from each other, but for the time being everything seemed perfect, and they fell asleep content wrapped up together.

when they left missouri to go back to new york, jan wasn't impressed. 

they didn't have a pool, so when it was too hot there was nothing for her to do to cool herself down, they didn't have a barbecue, they improvised by cooking inside their sweltering kitchen and eating outside on the balcony, the apartments air con was old and noisy, and it kept jan up at night. 

jackie had come home to see jan in many strange situations trying to cool herself down slightly: sat in the bath filled with icy cold water which left her shivering, jan sticking her head into their freezer and almost melting everything inside, jan lied across the cold tiles on the kitchen floor, just for some relief from the hot weather. 

and so, jackie did what she had to do to keep her girlfriend entertained. she bought a blow up pool. 

it was cheap and tiny, would no doubt get scratched and broken in seconds, and jackie always felt guilty having to tip the water over their balcony, even though she knew there was no one walking. but it kept jan happy, and she would do anything to keep jan happy. watching her relax with a little smile on her face warmed jackie’s heart, and she let her stay in the pool on the balcony while she cooked up a small dinner for the two - jan was never really hungry in warm weather, so just a small burger would fill her. 

"jan? do you want me to bring you a cold towel so you can dry off and eat your burger?"

"yes please!"

jackie had already put a towel into their freezer, knowing it would cool jan down even more. she was met with jan stood awkwardly on the balcony, trying to shake water droplets off of her bikini, making jackie giggle and wrap the towel around her. they sat down together, eating their burgers and relishing in the cool air. the sun was almost down, and jan was enjoying the cooler air. 

"can we watch mamma mia tonight?" jan asked with puppy dog eyes and jackie raised an eyebrow. 

"do you mean, let's watch mamma mia even though you'll fall asleep in the first 20 minutes?" at that statement, jan jokingly nudged jackie, almost knocking the burger out of her hands and sending each other into a fit of giggles. "yes. of course we can watch it, even if you fall asleep."

a few hours later the sun had completely gone down, a cool breeze coming in through the open windows and the air conditioning rattling loudly. jan complained every year, saying that it sounded like there was an animal of some sort climbing inside it. she made jackie check inside every night, claiming she "didn't want to get attacked by a wild raccoon in the middle of the night!"

they lied in the big bed together, all the blankets they had used previously were stripped away and hidden in the bottom of the wardrobe. they only had a thin sheet on top of them, but their hands were still connected and jackie would reach up to play with jans hair. 

jackie was right, as usual: around ten minutes into the film jan’s soft snores filled the room and she found her head nuzzling closer to her chest out of habit. she didn't turn the tv off, letting herself fall asleep to the background noise and the occasional abba song. 

soon autumn would return. another year had passed the two girls by just as fast as the one before, and they could count on the fact they'd be together at each other's side as every season lapses through, through every storm and sunny day. it became a blur of weather and change and sunsets. a blur of passionate kisses on walks and shared laughs in coffee shops. of cuddles and late night talks until three am, where jan would get clingy and tired but force herself to stay awake. another year of movie dates and pancakes and presents. and jan and jackie embraced it with open arms, knowing that whatever happened, it didn't really matter. just as long as they experienced it together.


End file.
